An obstruction in a person's trachea can cause death from asphyxiation, often within minutes before medical help can arrive. When back slaps or the Heimlich maneuver cannot dislodge the obstruction, it may be necessary to perform a tracheotomy. A tracheotomy involves inserting a hollow tube into the trachea below the obstruction so that the person can breathe freely through the tube. Because the trachea is surrounded by stiff cartilaginous material, a scalpel, trocar or other cutting instrument is required to make an incision in the trachea between the cartilaginous rings. This can be difficult without specific knowledge, so tracheotomies traditionally require medical knowledge to perform successfully and safely. Given that the time for trained emergency services personnel to arrive after a subject has begun to choke often exceeds the survival time that someone can survive without breathing, any attempt to save the subject's life must be considered. Therefore, if trained medical personnel are not present, then it would be useful to have a simple emergency tracheotomy device that can be used safely and successfully by the general public with little or no training. Further, to reduce the possibility of contamination and for simplicity, such an emergency device should be simple to use, inexpensive, sterilizable and amenable to single-use with disposal after use.